Huge Increase in Facebook Use at Work

Facebook has quickly become the go-to distraction for employees in the workplace. According to a recent report by Nielsen, Americans spend 53 billion minutes per month on Facebook. A recent report by Palo Alto Networks found that office workers were three times more active on Facebook at work and seven times more active on Twitter in 2011 than in 2010.

However, some jobs require that employees use social media. Marketing professionals, recruiters and journalists are examples of professions that use social media to reach customers and get their work done more efficiently. The challenge for employers is separating time wasted on personal activity and use of social media to produce results and increase profits.

A new tool from Transparent Billing allows employers to track user's activity on the job, their billable hours and the progress of projects in real time. Managers can oversee remote workers with the software, as well as in-house employees.

With concern over uncontrolled use of the Internet and social media hampering employee productivity, many products have come on the market to help employers monitor use. Solutions for both small and large employers include the following: